Bottle warmer



Jan. 15, 1952 2,582,781

A. B. JOHNSON BOTTLE WARNER Filed June 15, 1948 INVENTOR.Qrzzelidbiznaom circuit of the bottle warmer. late to various featuresof construction and ar- Patented Jan. 15, i952 BOTTLE WARMER Arne B.Johnson, Madison, Wis., assignor to Hankscraft Company, Madison, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Application June 15, 1948, Serial N0. 33,072

9 Claims.

orated, the operation of the device is automatically terminated and itthus has a definite time period of operation adapted to heat the milk inthe bottle to the desired temperature without attention on the part ofthe operator.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a bottlewarmer having associated therewith an illuminating device which willindicate to the operator that the device is connected to the supplycircuit. If the bottle warmer be of the spaced electrode type, the flowof electric current will stop when the water is evaporated but theilluminating device will continue to function, thereby reminding theattendant that the device is connected in the circuit. The device maythen be disconected from the supply circuit or it may continue tooperate to serve as a night light of low intensity while the baby isbeing fed. A further advantage of the invention is that the device maybe employed as a night light independently of any warming or feedingoperations.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric bottlewarmer having embodied therein a translucent wall portion behind whichis located an electric lamp adapted to operate while the bottle warmeris connected in the supply circuit. Stillanother object is to provide anelectric bottle warmer adapted to contain the bottle and the heatingelements and provided with a translucent supporting base containing anilluminating device operated by the supply Other objects rebodiment isillustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved bottlewarmer of thepresent invention having a. baby's bottle mounted therein;

; 8- 2 sh w P. Pla flav i e b l warmer illustrated in Fig. 1 with thebottle removed;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged vertical axial section taken through the bottlewarmer illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 shows a partial vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a bottlewarmer comprising a vessel I0 formed of porcelain or other suitablenon-metallic material having an annular wall Illa forming an internalchamber lob in which the babys bottle H is adapted to be supportedduring the heating operation. This chamber lob is adapted to contain ameasured quantity of water which is heated by the passage of currentbetween spaced electrodes located in the bottom of the chamber. In theembodiment illustrated these electrodes are in the form of flat platesof the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent of Marshall W.Hanks, No. 2,061,837, dated November 24, 1936, and No. 2,347,825, datedMay 2, 1944. The lower electrode is in the form of a circular flat metalplate l2 which rests upon the bottom wall I00 of the vessel, having acentral aperture which is engaged by an integral lug formed in thebottom wall lllc of the vessel. The upper electrode is in the form of afiat circular metal plate l3 which is spaced upwardly from the lowerelectrode I2 by non-metallic lugs Illd which are formed on the bottomwall lo and which project upwardly through apertures formed in the lowerelectrode l2. The upper electrode I3 is provided with a plurality ofapertures I3a which are adapted to permit the ready escape of bubblesproduced by the vaporization of water in the region between the twoelectrodes. On the upper electrode l3 there is mounted a supportingplate l4, formed of porcelain or other suitable non-metallic material,which serves as a support for the bottle II and also prevents accidentalcontact of the fingers of the operator with the electrodes. This plateI4 is provided with a plurality of apertures Ma which permit the escapeof bubbles from the region beneath it and it is of such diameter that itis spaced inwardly to a slight extent from the annular wall of thechamber lllb. The insulating plate I4 is provided with supporting postsI lb which are formed integrally therewith and which rest upon the upperelectrode l3 to which they are secured in any suitable manner.

N The lower electrode I2 is provided with a pair of attached metal postsl5 and I6 which extend downwardly therefrom through apertures formed inthe bottom wall lilo of the vessel and terminate within the annulardepending flange we of the vessel. One of these posts I5 is threaded forengagement by nuts I! by which it is connected to a supply conductor 18leading from one terminal of the usual alternating current electriclighting circuit. The other post It is engaged at its lower end by a nut19 and its lower end is sealed by a body of insulating material 20, boththe nut l9 and the sealing material 20 being located within anon-metallic shell 2i. The other supply conductor 22 leading from theother terminal of the supply circuit is connected by means of nuts 23 toa central terminal post 24 which extends upwardly through the bottomwall [0c of the vessel, and through a central aperture in the bottomelectrode 12 to form a threaded engagement with the central portion ofthe upper electrode l3. In this way the electrodes i2 and I3 areconnected in the supply circuit through the conductors i8 and 22 whichare adapted to form the usual flexible electric cord with a detachableplug connected to the free ends thereof. When a measured quantity ofwater is placed in the chamber 10b of the vessel, with the conductorsconnected to the supply circuit, a current will flow through the waterbetween the spaced electrodes until the water has been evaporated to thepoint of substantial dryness.

The vessel I0 is supported by a hollow cups'haped base member 25 formedof translucent plastic material and having an upwardly extending annularwall 25a which is outwardly flared to a slight extent and which isadapted to support the vessel I0 through the agency of an annularshoulder l0) formed on the outer side of the vessel adjacent the uppermargin of the annular depending flange Hie. An annular downwardlyflaring metallic reflector 21 is provided at its inner margin with anangular flange 21a which seats against the shoulder I01 above the upperedge of the wall 25a of the base so that the reflector is thus clampedbetween the base and the vessel when these parts are secured together.The reflector 21a flares downwardly and outwardly and terminates in anannular flange 21b of limited extent which converges downwardly andinwardly at a point some distance outwardly from the wall 25a. This base25 has an annular rib 25b at its bottom which is adapted to rest upon atable or other support and the base is secured to the vessel 10 by aconnection extending to the central terminal post 24. Thisconnectionincludes a non-metallic plug 28 which is centrally aperturedfor threaded engagement with. the lower end of the post 24 at its upperend and for threaded engagement at its lower end with a screw 29'. Thisscrew extends through an internal aperture in a cap member 30 which ismounted in a circular opening formed in the central part of the bottomwall of the base 25 and the cap member has an outwardly extending flange30a which underlies the bottom wall of the base so that when the screw29 is tightened within the threaded bore of the lug 28, the base issecured to the vessel l0 and the reflector 21 is clamped in position.The annular wall 25a of the base is provided at a suitable point with anaperture 250, shown in Fig. 1, through which the supply conductors l8and 22 lead from the source' of supply. To prevent rotation of the base25 with respect to the vessel It, the base is provided with an inwardlyprojecting lug 25d, shown in Fig. 4, which engages a notch 109 formed inthe depending flange Ifie of the vessel.

In the chamber within the depending flange Hie oi the vessel and withinthe annular wall 25a of the base, there is mounted an electric lampsocket 33 having terminals which are connected to the terminal posts [5and 24 by conductors 34 and 35, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4. Thissocket 33 has mounted therein an electric light bulb 36 and this bulb isactuated to illuminate the space within the base 25 when the conductorsi8 and 22 are plugged into the supply circuit. This illuminating efiectis transmitted through the translucent annular wall 25a of the base.thus illuminating the surface of the table on which the bottle warmer islocated and attracting attentionto the fact that the device is connectedin the supply circuit. The reflector 21 serves as a shield to preventthe transmission of light rays directly from the base 25 in an upwarddirection from the base so that a soft illuminating effect is producedwhich is not objectionable to persons in the room. This illuminatingefiect continues as long as the supply conductors l8 and 22 areconnected in the supply circuit, even though the heating of the bottle Hhas been arrested by the evaporation of the water in the chamber lUb.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by wayof illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed invarious other embodiments which come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, means for heating a bottlepositioned in said vessel, a hollow base for supportin said vessel, anilluminating device located in said base, and a light shield extendingaround the upper exterior of said base. 7

2. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, means forheating a bottlepositioned in said vessel, a hollow translucent base supporting saidvessel, and an illuminating device located in said base.

3. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, means for heating a bottlepositioned in said vessel, a hollow translucent base supporting saidvessel, an illuminating device located in said base, and a shieldextending around the upper part of said base and extending downwardlyand outwardly therefrom.

4. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, means for heating a bottlepositioned in said vessel, a hollow base for supporting said vessel, anilluminating device located in said base, a light shield extendingaround the upper part of said base,

and a single fastening means for securing said base and said shield tosaid vessel.

5. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, electrically operated meanspositioned in said vessel for heating a bottle, a base for supportingsaid vessel, means within said base for forming electrical connectionswith said electrically operated means, and an independent signalingdevice apart from said electrically operated heating means connected tosaid electrical connections beneath said vessel.

6. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, spaced electrodes in saidvessel, a translucent base supporting said vessel, supply conductorsextending through said base and connected to said electrodes, andilluminating means mounted in said base and connected to said supplyconductors.

'1. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, spaced electrodes in saidvessel, an inverted cup-shaped translucent base for supporting saidvessel, supply conductors leading through said base and connected tosaid electrodes, illuminating means mounted in said base and connectedto said electrodes, and an annular shield extending around the upperpart of said base and having a portion thereof extending between saidbase and said vessel.

8. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, spaced electrodes in saidvessel, an inverted cup-shaped translucent base for supporting saidvessel, supply conductors leading through said base and connected tosaid electrodes, illuminating means mounted in said base and connectedto said electrodes, an annular shield extending around the upper part ofsaid base and having a portion thereof extending between said base andsaid vessel, and means extending through the bottom of said base andattached to said vessel for securing said base and said shield in placewith respect to said vessel.

9. A bottle warmer comprising a vessel, spaced electrodes in saidvessel, a translucent base supporting said vessel, supply conductorsextending through said base and connected to said electrodes,illuminating means mounted in said base and connected to said supplyconductors, a single connection through the bottom of said base forsecuring said base in place on said vessel, and means for preventingrotation of said base with respect to said vessel.

ARNE B. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 697,825 Fisk Apr. 15, 19021,699,001 Lauderdale Jan. 15, 1929 1,837,000 Wertz Dec. 15, 19312,417,802 Longstreet Mar. 18, 1947

